WILSON'S BOATYARD HAYLING ISLAND, WEST SUSSEX 50° 47.4' N, 000° 57.6' W

The south coast is famed for its array of marinas, less so for value for money moorings – yet Wilson's Boatyard offers just that, writes Emma Bamford

- Emma Bamford

Wilson’s Boatyard, Hayling Island, West Sussex

We all know the saying, “Owning a boat is like standing in a cold shower, ripping up money.” While many Sailing Today readers will be in the fortunate position of having pockets deep enough to keep their yacht afloat year-round in a prime location marina, this is not an option available to everyone.

There are ways of basing your boat in a sheltered prime south coast spot without having to wince every time the invoice for berthing fees comes in or wait for a lifetime moorings holder to pass away, or track down an amenable boatowner looking to earn a few pennies by sub-letting a berth. Wilson’s Boatyard – in Hayling Island, Chichester Harbour, an Area of Outstanding National Beauty that hovers on the doorstep of the Solent – is a family business owned and managed by brothers David and Barrie, from the third generation of the Wilson family. It offers sheltered tidal moorings and mud berths for 106 boats of up to 39ft (11.9m) LOA, 12 tonnes and 2m (6ft 7in) draught.

“It was started by my grandfather, and goes back to the 1930s,” David said. “It was a tiny sliver of land that we have extended. Very much a working boatyard without some of the marina-type add-ons, we strive to offer a full range of moorings and recreational boating facilities on a friendly and personal basis, at modest cost.”

‘Modest’ is the keyword here. While some owners of a 35ft yacht might be paying nearly £10,000 a year for a berth in a south coast marina, another can keep their boat at Wilson’s year-round (summer on a mooring; winter ashore) for £1,433.

David says: “We take boats of up to about 36ft (10.7m) on the moorings but we lay up boats of up to 40ft (12.2m), with a draught of up to two metres.”